It is irrefutable that a high-concept film lives and dies by its premise, no matter how proficiently executed or capably handled. Most films that are so tenuously structured upon a risky idea actually contain a theoretically sound concept. When they fail, they managed to botch another aspect of the film. For example, it wasn't the concept of Jim Carrey playing God that sealed \Bruce Almighty's"" fate, but rather the revoltingly sappy script, which was so awful you would think it was originally intended for Pauly Shore or Carrot Top, coupled with the sloppy direction of Tom Shadyac. However, Jonathan Glazer's ambitious ""Birth"" is a superbly mounted, admirable production that would have succeeded without question-if not for its ultimately fallible premise.
Nicole Kidman stars as Anna, a wealthy young woman still in the throes of grief after the untimely death of her physicist husband 10 years prior. It seems that she has found love again with Joseph (Danny Huston), a gentle businessman who appears genuine through and through. But her world is thrown into a tizzy when a creepy 10-year-old (Cameron Bright of ""Godsend"") approaches her out of the blue, ominously declaring that he is her husband Sean reincarnated. She initially laughs it off as a peculiar prank, but the boy's persistence quickly proves otherwise. Further investigation of young Sean's true identity and purpose leads to a metaphysical gray area, thrusting Anna and her elite social circle into a devastating mystery with no easy answers.
For the majority of the film's running time, Glazer maintains a deliberate pace that palpably heightens the tension and enthralls the viewer; there are moments that feel authentically Kubrickian. Occasionally, Glazer missteps and ventures into the territory of self-importance, but always snaps back into focus with something captivating. It is even more remarkable that Glazer made this austere, restrained film when you consider that his previous work was the profane, viciously daring gangster film ""Sexy Beast."" If nothing else, ""Birth"" will certify that Glazer is a bona fide versatile talent to be watched.
The cast is uniformly excellent as well, especially Kidman, who wrings an Oscar-worthy performance out of a supremely difficult role. A scene in which Glazer focuses on her face for a full three minutes as she considers the truth of young Sean's identity is arguably the best acting she's ever done. Her performance as a grieving, emotionally jostled socialite is as memorable as Ben Kingsley's rabidly unhinged gangster in ""Sexy Beast,"" but she will almost certainly be neglected by the Academy because of this movie's questionable subject matter.
No matter who is at the helm or in the cast, this is a troubling premise. ""Birth"" has already gained sufficient controversy for scenes that skirt bad taste, which include Kidman taking a bath with the kid, and is doomed to drown in a sea of Mary Kay Letourneau jokes from unimaginative critics. The naysayers, however eagerly they wisecrack or whine, do have one potent point: If any of the characters were logical, they would have asked Sean to explain some obscure postulate of physics for conclusive proof. If Anna's suitor had stopped brooding and thought to ask Sean to wax eloquent about quarks, there would be no movie. Nagging inconsistencies such as these, as well as the film's lack of levity, undermine the marvelous performances and mostly seamless direction, resulting in a maddening near-miss.
